Maybe it is An Act
by CaptainSparrow09
Summary: Continuation of Not an Act. The twins are now eleven and Meghan isn't satisfied with some things that she's being told. Is it just her Speedle stubborness shining through or is she piecing together one of the biggest mysteries yet?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own anyone you don't recognize. Everyone else belongs to Anthony Zuiker.

------S/C-----

Calleigh opened her son's door slowly and sighed, seeing the flashlight shining under the thin blanket.

"James Timothy Speedle if you don't put that book down," she started.

"It's good." came the muffled reply of the eleven year old.

"Oh it's good?" Calleigh asked humourously, flipping the light on. James poked his head out from under the blanket as his mother sat down. "Well I don't care. It's almost midnight and you have school tomorrow. How many more pages do you have to go?"

"Three."

Calleigh grabbed the book and looked at the wide margin of pages left. She raised a thin eyebrow and the boy grinned sheepishly.

"Sixty-three."

Calleigh chuckled lightly and put the bookmark in the book.

"You can finish it tomorrow." she said. "Good night."

She leaned down and kissed the messy head of curls.

"Night Mom." James lay back down and Calleigh walked out, shut the light off, and closed the door. She peeked into Meghan's room and smiled, seeing she was asleep. Calleigh closed the door and walked into her bedroom. She rifled through some drawers and grabbed a t-shirt and shorts, changed, and got into bed. Her arm instinctively went to the other side of the bed, though it went around nothing. Calleigh sighed and closed her eyes tightly, hoping she'd fall asleep quickly. But every time she did, she got flashes of that horrible day, the day Tim died.

------S/C------

James walked around his school library and saw his twin sitting at a computer.

"Do you always spend lunch sitting at a computer?" he teased, sitting down. Meghan quickly exited the site she was on and looked over at her brother.

"No. I was just doing some research."

"On?"

"Something. It's not important."

"Well obviously it's important if you're hiding it from me. C'mon. I won't tell Mom."

"It was nothing." Meghan grabbed her backpack and walked away.

"Meg, wait!" James grabbed the folder that floated to the ground. His sister didn't hear him as she was already walking out the door. James shrugged and opened it up. It was a bunch of papers on their father.

"What the..." James raced down the hallway after Meghan. "MEGHAN WAIT!"

"Mr. Speedle!" Mrs. Tyler screeched, walking out of her classroom. "Lower your voice!"

"Sorry." he apologized, quickly going after Meghan. He grabbed her arm and Meghan tried to shake his hand loose.

"Stop James!" she snapped, pulling his hand off her. "What's your problem?"

"I should be asking you that!" he spat, throwing the folder at her. "What is this?"

"It's none of your business." Meghan muttered.

"I think it is when our dad comes into the picture."

"Oh shut up! You don't even remember him so it doesn't matter."

"Yeah well neither do you. Don't talk about this at home. You'll just make Mom upset. And stop looking through all of it! It's not going to bring him back."

"Yeah? How do you know?"

"Because a bunch of silly articles don't bring dead people alive!" James yelled, his brown eyes flaming with fury.

"You don't understand Jimmy!" Meghan exclaimed.

"You're crazy. That's what it is." he snapped. "You've totally lost it."

"Like I said, you don't understand."

"I don't think you understand Meghan." James muttered, walking away.

--------S/C-------

"Hey, hold the elevator!" Eric shouted. A hand held the door and he smiled, seeing Meghan and James standing there. "Hey guys."

"Hi." they mumbled.

"Everything okay?"

"Peachy." James said.

"Uncle Eric, do you think it's possible if everything you thought wasn't true?" Meghan asked, giving her brother a glare. Eric glanced between the twins.

"Well yeah."

"Psycho." James muttered under his breath.

"Be nice to your sister." Eric ordered gently. "You guys coming to see your mom?"

"No. We're coming to see the tooth fairy." James said sarcastically.

"You know, you're just like your dad. So sarcastic." Eric reached out to ruffle James's hair and he ducked, leaning against the wall. "What's got you two all in a huff?"

"Meghan has a new obsession." James replied.

"It's not an obsession." she defended.

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

Eric was very glad when the elevator opened up on the CSI floor.

"Is not!" Meghan screamed, stamping her foot.

"Is too. You're a freak. You know what? You're a daddy's girl that can't understand what happened!" James yelled. The whole lab seemed to freeze as Calleigh walked towards her children.

"Get in my office. Now."


	2. Chapter 2

James sat down in the break room, a scowl that could rival his father's set on his face. Eric sat next to him and looked down at his lap.

"You wanna talk?"

"Not really."

"Jay, listen..."

"I don't want to."

"Well I'm going to talk anyway."

"You're just wasting your breath." James muttered. Eric sighed and ran his hands through his hair. Upstairs in her office, Calleigh wasn't having too much luck with Meghan either.

"Meghan, we all miss him."

"At least you knew him." she muttered. "You got to spend time with him. You remember him. I don't have any of that and it's not fair."

"I know it's not fair but will you just listen?"

"No."

"Meghan, you're not giving me a chance to explain and I don't like it." Calleigh said softly.

"He's dead. There's nothing to explain. I want to go home."

"James, stop being so stubborn!" Eric exclaimed. James moved off the couch and stood by the window. "She's your sister. Hell, she's your twin. Aren't you two supposed to have some connection?"

"Not when she's acting like a psycho!"

"She's missing your father."

"She needs to get over it."

"Why are you acting like you don't miss him?"

"Why should I feel like I need to miss someone when they never gave me a chance to know or remember them?" James asked.

-------S/C-------

Calleigh lay in her bed, tears streaming silently down her face. When did things get to be like this? Why were things like this? Why wasn't Tim laying next to her, making her laugh or... comforting her? Sometimes she didn't believe that he was gone but she would have to face reality. Why couldn't Meghan do that as well? Supposedly, she wasn't giving up on him. Her words, not anyone else's.

Downstairs, Meghan silently crept through a door off the living room. No one ever went in here. Why? It used to be Tim's room. She was hoping she'd find something that would tell her something about her father. Meghan slid behind the desk and was delighted to find a computer sitting there. She pressed the power button but nothing happened. Sighing, she grabbed the plug and put it into the outlet. Why hadn't her mother cleaned this room out after her father had died? The computer finally turned on and Meghan slowly went over the desktop. It had all your basics, AOL, a recycling can, Microsoft Word, virus scan programs, a few video games.

The wallpaper was a picture that Meghan definitely knew. It was Tim and Calleigh's wedding picture, which seemed to be everywhere. There was one at CSI on the fridge in the break room and in Calleigh's office. Another was at Eric's, Alexx's, and Horatio's and then there was a few in Meghan's own house. Meghan grasped the mouse tightly, hoping nothing had been deleted off the computer.

'_What are you doing? This is an invasion of privacy.'_

'**Invasion of privacy? He's dead!' **

'_Still, Mom may come in here from time to time.'_

'**Have you seen the dust in here? Mom is a little neat freak. She definitely doesn't come in here. If she did, it'd be clean.' **

'_Maybe she wants to preserve it.' _

Meghan finished her inner battle and clicked on Microsoft Word. Holding her breath, she opened up 'file' and was relieved to see that it still had some documents on there. Meghan read a few of the names. Court, Kids, Me Only...

'_Invasion of privacy.'_

'**Oh stop! Just because people put 'me only' doesn't mean it's for them only.'**

'_Would you like to be grounded for the rest of your life?'_

'**Grounded or finally finding something out about Dad? HMM?'**

Meghan clicked on 'me only' and pages quickly filled up. She saw the first dated entry was Oct. 21, 2002.

_Just got back from LA. Better than I thought. We got together, finally. I didn't want to let her go home. And she didn't... _

"Oh my God." Meghan quickly scrolled down and saw her birth date.

_February 12, 2005_

_They're here, finally. I cannot believe it. My kids... me, a dad... who would've thought? And to twins for that matter! I don't know if I can handle one, how am I supposed to handle two? Oh well... I got Calleigh here, by my side. But I think I'll do okay... the four of us are already good together. I can tell Meghan will be a daddy's girl. That's fine with me. The three of them are my life and I love them so much. _

Meghan sighed. This wasn't getting her anywhere. She scrolled down, not seeing anything of interest, until...

_March 4, 2007_

_I'm in deep shit. Deep, deep, deep shit. Something has come up and it doesn't look like I'll be around much more. I regret this, a lot. I don't want to leave but I have to. God, this will kill Calleigh. I'm going to miss her so much and the kids... my kids, our kids... They just turned two. They... all I ever wanted was a family. I finally got that. Calleigh, Meghan, James, and me. I wanted to be there, to watch them grow up... guess now that's not going to happen. Horatio says I have to do this. I know I have to. If I want to protect them, I will. Maybe it won't be forever. Maybe I'll be back soon. _

Soon? How soon was soon in Tim Speedle's mind? But that didn't peak Meghan's interest. What did he mean, if he wanted to protect them? Protect them from what? Meghan silently yelled, wanting more from this computer but that was the last entry. Did her mother know about this? Obviously Horatio did. Meghan glanced at the clock on the computer. 10:57 PM. Was it too late to call? Meghan decided to give it a chance and dialed Horatio's number.

"Hello?"

"Uncle H?"

"Meghan? Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"Did I wake you?"

"No I was just watching TV. What's wrong?"

"Um... do you swear not to tell my mom?"

Horatio couldn't swear. If it was something big, he'd definitely tell Calleigh.

"Of course I swear." he lied. "What's wrong?"

"You know that room off of my living room? The one that's always closed?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, that was Dad's room... where he hung out and everything and there's a computer in here. He wrote a lot of stuff down and I sort of read a few of his... entries in this journal thing. It says, 'Something has come up and it doesn't look like I'll be around much more. I regret this, a lot. I don't want to leave but I have to. God, this will kill Calleigh. I'm going to miss her so much and the kids... my kids, our kids... They just turned two. They... all I ever wanted was a family. I finally got that. Calleigh, Meghan, James, and me. I wanted to be there, to watch them grow up... guess now that's not going to happen. Horatio says I have to do this. I know I have to. If I want to protect them, I will.' What does that mean?"

"Uh... I don't know." Horatio lied.

"Uncle Horatio, he said that you said he had to do this! Obviously you know! Now tell me!"

"I can't sweetheart. You're too young."

"Is he still alive?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because... it... no one's story is complete when I ask them about my dad. I figured something was up. I just want a straight answer from somebody." Meghan replied. Horatio had to smile. She was definitely Speedle's daughter. "I think you can give me that."

"You think I can huh?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Tomorrow, I will pick you up from school and explain everything okay?"

"Promise?"

"I promise. Now get some sleep. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I love you too Uncle Horatio. Thanks, bye." Meghan hung the phone up and turned the computer off. She went through a few drawers in the desk and sighed. She'd do this in the morning. She was going to bed.

--------S/C--------

A/N: In the beginning of the chapter, Eric called James 'Jay.' It's just his nickname for him. I didn't screw the names up or anything. Lol.


	3. Chapter 3

"Horatio? What are you doing here?"

Horatio's eyes widened behind his sunglasses and he turned around.

"Calleigh, hey. Uh... I was going to pick Meghan up today. You know, some bonding time." he lied. "Is that alright?"

"Of course it is. I have to take James to a dentist appointment anyway."

"Well I have perfect timing then."

Calleigh smiled as the bell rang. The twins came rushing out, neither talking to the other.

"Meg, you're gonna go with Uncle H." Calleigh said, grabbing James by the backpack before he ran off.

"Can I go?" he asked.

"No. You, young man, are going to the dentist."

"But Mom!"

"But Mom nothing! You need to get your teeth cleaned and see if I can get you to see the orthodontist."

"I don't want braces! I already have glasses!"

"Be happy I let you have contacts then." Calleigh smiled. "I'll see you guys later."

Horatio led Meghan over to his car and they quickly got in.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Back to my place and then we have to make a quick stop before I take you home."

---------S/C--------

"So explanation... you said you'd give me one." Meghan reminded. Horatio nodded.

"Okay. Nine years ago, your dad was being stalked by someone he had put in jail. This person had gotten parol and was now out and trying to get your dad. I suggested that he went into witness protection until we caught his stalker. He started to protest but then thought of you, James, and your mom. He agreed. After he went into protection, his stalker seemed to have disappeared. We couldn't find the person."

"Then why didn't you let him out?"

"He was afraid that once he came back to us then it would just start all over."

"Why didn't you get the person when they started stalking?"

"We don't know who it is." Horatio replied. "All your dad got were pictures and typed letters and we couldn't get anything from them."

"So just because some person had a grudge he had to leave?" Meghan asked.

"It was for you guys."

Meghan jumped when she heard a quiet voice behind her. She turned and stared at Tim as he walked out from the shadows of the kitchen.

"I told you we'd come to you." Horatio said, giving his friend a glare.

"I didn't care. Needed to get out of the house anyway." Tim replied, his eyes on Meghan. "Pictures don't do any justice."

"You were snooping around? Oh why am I even surprised? You're not supposed to come out of that house."

"I knew it!" Meghan exclaimed. "I... something wasn't right about that whole story of you dying on duty!"

Tim gave a small smile and shrugged.

"H isn't Steven Spielberg."

"Thanks a lot." he grumbled.

"Are you mad?" Tim asked, ignoring Horatio. Meghan nodded.

"I don't like being lied to."

"Gee, she's just like you." Horatio mumbled.

"I'm sorry. I wanted you to be safe, along with James and your mother. By the way, you look just like her." Tim said.

"And you look just like James... well he looks like you..." Meghan stammered. What was she supposed to say to him? "Are you going to be around?"

"No! You can't tell Mom Meghan. I'm serious. She cannot know that I'm still alive."

"Don't you want to see her?"

"Of course I do. There's nothing more that I want than to be with you guys but it could screw up everything. Me being here right now could be screwing all of this up. Horatio told me you figured it out and was bringing you here to explain. I wanted to see you, just for a second."

"I don't want you to go again."

"And I don't want to go again. I'm not really. I'm closer than you think." Tim said. Meghan crossed the room and hugged him tightly. Tim hugged her back, wondering what he had missed out on the past nine years. "I have to go."

Meghan held onto him tighter, tears springing into her eyes.

"It's not fair." she whispered.

"I know it's not." Tim said quietly. "But soon, this may all be over."

"Yeah. I'm sure it will be." Meghan said sarcastically. "Just like you said before, on the computer."

"I don't like you going through my stuff either."

"I'll go through windows to get evidence to prove that I'm not crazy."

Tim laughed and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll be around."

"Can you call?"

"No. Phones might be bugged. The house might be being watched. I got to be careful."

"Is it always going to be like this?" Meghan asked, looking up at Tim. He thought for a second and shrugged.

"I really don't know. I hope not."

--------S/C-------

"What did you do with H?" James asked.

"Talked." Meghan mumbled, picking at her food.

"Meghan, are you going to eat it or play with it?" Calleigh asked.

"What did you talk about?" James asked. Meghan desperately wanted to tell her mother and brother about Tim, how he was still alive. But she made a promise to her dad and she wasn't ready to break it.

"Stuff that doesn't pertain to you." Meghan snapped.

"Jeez don't need to get an attitude." James muttered.

"Look who's talking."

"I just wanted to start a conversation."

"If I wanted to talk to you, I would've said something. You know what? You're just jealous that I got to hang out with Uncle Horatio today. You want to know what we were talking about?"

"Yeah I would."

"We were trying to figure out ways how to get you to not be so ugly."

"You're very funny." James sneered. "Did you ever think of taking up stand up comedy?"

"Ti–James stop!" Calleigh exclaimed.

"You know, she calls me ugly but you don't say anything to her." he said. "She's just being a baby again, trying to get attention."

"I'm done." Meghan mumbled, pushing her chair out.

"Meghan, you didn't even eat anything. Sit back down." Calleigh ordered.

"I'm not hungry."

"Yes you are. Now sit down."

Meghan walked out of the kitchen. Calleigh sighed and grabbed Meghan's plate. She brought it over to the counter and wrapped it up, then put it in the refrigerator.

"You should try being a bit nicer to her." she said. James rolled his eyes and finished his food, then went to bed. Everyone always took Meghan's side.

-------S/C------

Calleigh sighed as she glanced at the clock again.

"MEGHAN, LET'S GO!" she yelled up the stairs. "WE'RE RUNNING LATE!"

When Meghan didn't answer her, Calleigh headed upstairs to her daughter's closed door.

"Honey, this isn't the day to sleep in." she said. "I know you're upset but come on. Don't ignore me."

Calleigh opened the door and let out an audible gasp, seeing the empty bed.

"Meghan?"

---------S/C---------

Half an hour later, Calleigh's house was swarming with police and CSIs. She stood in the hallway upstairs, talking to Horatio.

"I.. I don't understand. She... she was upset last night. She did not run away."

"There's no evidence saying that she was kidnapped." Horatio said. "What was she upset about?"

"She and James started fighting over what you and her talked about."

"She told you?"

"No. She wouldn't tell me. She got all nasty and sarcastic. What did you two talk about?"

"It's confidential." Horatio said quietly.

"My daughter is eleven Horatio. Her life is not confidential, not to me at least." Calleigh said. "What did you talk about that got her so upset?"

"She wasn't upset when I took her home." he defended.

"Horatio..."

"Uh... I told her there may be a slight, actually a good chance that... that... that Speedle is still alive."

Calleigh laughed and leaned against the wall.

"I'm sorry I thought you just said you told _my _eleven-year-old that her father, who's been _dead _for nine years is still alive. Horatio, where the hell do you get off at telling my kid that? Why would you tell her lies like that?"

"Probably because they aren't lies."

Calleigh froze when Tim walked over to her.

"Hi."

"H-Hi? That's all you have to say to me?" she stammered.

"Well... that and do this," Tim pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. Calleigh felt herself getting lightheaded and Tim tightened his hold on her when she went limp in his arms.

"Personally," Horatio started, "I don't think that was the best way to tell her."

"No shit."

Horatio had to smile. With that sarcastic comment, he knew that Tim Speedle was finally back.


	4. Chapter 4

Calleigh shifted slightly and stared at Tim's back.

"I really don't know what to say you." she said quietly.

"I'm sorry."

"Tim, you said that this would be a quick thing. When you didn't call after a month, I started thinking maybe you really did die."

"I was still being watched. I didn't want them coming after you Calleigh." he said, looking at her over his shoulder. She saw the pained look on his features.

"Nice job on that." she spat. "And then you and Horatio decide to get together and let Meghan know that you were still alive? I thought we decided not to let them know. I figured you decided not to let me know what was going on anymore or you died and no one was telling me."

Tim turned around so he was facing her.

"You don't know how hard it's been."

"Oh it must've been very hard living the bachelor life while I was stuck raising two kids on my own!" Calleigh exclaimed. "And what time is it?"

"Noon." Tim replied. "At least you had the kids, our friends, and our families. I had no one. I was in isolation."

"So why are you here now?"

"I figured you needed me."

"I've needed you since day one." Calleigh said, hot, angry tears spilling onto her cheeks. She quickly turned her head away, her hand quickly wiping her tears. Tim grasped her chin gently and turned her face back to his.

--------S/C-------

Eric glanced up when Calleigh and Tim walked downstairs. He smirked slightly, unable to contain himself.

"Speed, your shirt's inside out."

"Thanks Delko." he muttered, hearing the door open behind them.

"Mom? What's going on?"

"James, come here." Calleigh put an arm around his and sat him down on the couch. James looked up and locked eyes with his father. James was too young when Tim left to remember what he looked like but he had seen enough pictures.

"This isn't possible." he said.

"It is." Tim said. "And I know what you're thinking."

"You have no idea what I'm thinking." James said quietly, looking over at his mother. "Where's Meghan? Why are all these people here? Why is he here?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?"

James gave Tim a dirty look and turned his attention back to Calleigh.

"See, Jay. I told you you're just like him." Eric smirked, cuffing him lightly across the head.

"Will you three stop for just a second?" Calleigh asked.

"I didn't do anything." Tim defended. Calleigh gave him a look and started explaining everything to James. She told him about Tim going into protection, about Meghan going missing, and that was why it seemed the whole lab was in their house now.

"So you just left us?" James asked, giving his father a glare.

"It was for you guys." Tim explained. "If I stayed, you would've gotten hurt and I didn't want that."

"It still hurt. You don't know how Mom was, you don't..."

"Jay, I knew." Calleigh interrupted. "All of us knew. Uncle Eric, Uncle Horatio..."

"So you couldn't tell me?" he snapped. "You don't know what it was like growing up without a father, and your protecting scheme worked great since whoever wants you dead now has Meghan."

"James..."

"No! I don't want to listen to any of you!" he yelled and ran upstairs, slamming his bedroom door.

"Who wants to talk to him?" Tim asked. Calleigh and Eric backed away. "Great."

-------S/C-------

Tim opened James's door slowly and a pair of dark eyes glared at him.

"Go away."

"Listen I know you really hate me and figure you don't have to listen to me because I haven't been around but I still am your father so you do have to."

"You can talk but you're just going to be wasting your breath because I won't be listening." James said.

"Okay well I'll still talk." Tim said. "I know you're mad at me but you have to understand I never wanted to do this. I wanted to be with you, Meghan, and your mom. But I didn't want you guys getting hurt by what would be going on."

"Well Meghan is hurt!"

"We don't know that." Tim said. "Okay? But I promise you James that I will do everything in my power to find her and keep you and Mom safe okay?"

"I don't understand why you just didn't stay. Trap whoever this is." he muttered.

"I don't expect you to understand. That would've worked except this person is very good at hiding their identity."

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not... you're not going to leave again are you? I mean, if this person comes back you won't go back in hiding?" James asked. Tim sighed and rested his chin in his palm.

"I don't know James." he admitted.

"I don't want you too."

"I don't want to either."

"Don't you think that you'd protect us better if you were here than away some where?" James stood up and ran out, leaving his father to ponder this. Tim smiled. He was just like him. Tim shook his head, a grin still on his face and walked downstairs. He found James and Calleigh deep in conversation.

"James,"

He looked up.

"I'm not." Tim said. James grinned and Calleigh, for a second, was scared when she saw the identical look on the boys' faces. James jumped out of his chair and hugged Tim tightly. He hugged him back and smiled at Calleigh over James's head.

-------S/C------

"Night Mom. Night Dad." James yawned, stumbling upstairs.

"Night sweetheart." Calleigh called from the kitchen.

"Night Jay." Tim mumbled, trying to get the TV to work. "Dammit, Calleigh you broke my TV."

"I didn't break anything. You have it on the wrong channel." she replied, grabbing the remote from him. She turned the TV on and he stared at her. "What? Oh it's a new remote."

Tim nodded and they sat on the couch watching TV for a while. After about an hour of watching CSI (haha couldn't resist) and mocking the stupidity of the writers, Tim turned the baseball game on and looked over at Calleigh, not surprised to see her crying.

"Honey..." he pulled her into his arms and she cried into his shoulder. "Everything's gonna be fine."

"I-I know. I... I just want our baby back Tim." she sobbed. Tim kissed her forehead and rocked her slightly.

"I know. I want her back too. I'll get her back Calleigh. I promise you I will."


	5. Chapter 5

Tim moved slightly when he heard his cell phone ringing. He grabbed it and pressed 'talk.'

"Hello?"

"D-Dad?"

Tim sat up, causing Calleigh to wake up slowly.

"Meghan? Where are you?"

"I... I don't know but it's really cold and I'm scared."

"Who's with you?"

"This woman..."

"Alright. Did she tell you who she was?"

"No. She just said not to worry because you'd be here soon and everything would be okay."

Tim stared at the mirror, his hardened expression and Calleigh's sleepy, yet confused and worried look leering back at him. He shook his head and quickly pulled a t-shirt on.

"How did you get my number?"

"She has it in her cell phone. It says Tim so I figured it was you."

"Alright. Meghan, I want you to stay on the phone with me. Okay?"

"Dad, I'm scared."

"I know but I'm coming. Don't hang up the phone at all okay? I don't care if she comes into the room."

"She's sleeping."

"Even better. Don't worry about a thing Meghan, I'll be there soon."

---------S/C--------

"Alright, we'll get a dog when you come home." Tim said, walking into the A/V lab. Tyler looked up. "Sweetie, I'm giving my phone over to Tyler. He's going to trace where you are okay?"

"Okay."

Tim handed his cell phone over and waited as Tyler tried to get a location on Meghan.

"She's in Orlando." he muttered, giving the phone back to Tim.

"Dad, she's coming towards the room."

"Okay. Meg, I'm coming. I know where you are. I'll be there soon."

"Hurry."

"I'll will. Just stay calm, for me. Okay?"

"Okay."

The phone went dead and Tim thanked Tyler, took the address, and ran out to the car.

"Think you'd leave without me?" Calleigh asked, coming out from her own car.

"Who's with James?"

"Valera. Where are we going?"

"Orlando." Tim replied. "Get in the car and call Horatio too."

---------S/C--------

"Who were you talking to?"

"Myself." Meghan lied. Her captor eyed her wearily.

"You're just like your father."

"How do you know my dad?"

"We go way back. He loves me you know."

"He loves my mom."

"Yeah well that bitch should've been out of the picture a long time ago. If only _she_ fell the right way." Kiera spat. "Soon I'll go get your dad and James. Then we'll be a family."

"I already have a family." Meghan said.

"Not a good one."

"I like the one I have but thanks for offering."

"Meghan, do you disobey _her _like this?" Kiera asked.

"If you mean my mom, no." she snapped. "She loves me at least."

Kiera knelt down next to the girl and stroked the side of her face lovingly.

"I do love you. I love you more than _she _does."

"You don't know how much my mom loves me." Meghan said. Kiera smiled and saw the silver mechanism kicked under the table.

"You little thief!" she screeched. "You took my phone! Who did you call? Did you call _her_?"

"No!"

Kiera yanked the flip phone open and went through her previous calls.

"You called your father. How do I know it was him though? It could've been her." she mumbled to herself. She sighed and pocketed the cell phone, then yanked Meghan out of her chair. "Come on. Now you've been bad. We're leaving."

"No. It was my dad, really. He... he said he can't wait to see you."

"So he knows that it's me? Well then he can look a little longer. Come on!"

-------S/C-------

Tim pulled up to the old house and quickly headed up to the front door. He knocked loudly and waited. No one answered. Calleigh came up quietly behind him and winced as her husband kicked the door open.

"Meghan?" he called.

"Meghan!" Calleigh exclaimed, pulling her gun out. They split up and checked the house. No Meghan, no nothing or no one. "She's not here!"

"Where the hell did she go?" Tim breathed, running a hand through his hair. "God baby I'm sorry."

"Who has her!" Calleigh yelled. "I want her back Tim! She's not safe with whoever she's with! I want my little girl!"

Tim pulled her into his arms and she sobbed into his shoulder. He cried as well and they managed to get out to the SUV.

"Tim, where is she? You said she was here."

"I don't know honey but I'm as sure hell gonna find out."

---------S/C---------

"I'm hungry. I have to go to the bathroom. This car smells weird." Meghan whined.

"We should go shopping." Kiera said, ignoring her. She glanced over at the girl. "We should cut your hair and dye it. I think it would look good black, like your father's."

"No! I like my hair. You are not touching my hair! I'll change clothes but I will not let you get my hair!"

"You look too much like that bitch! Please Meghan, don't get me angry. You do not want to get me angry. Look what happened to your sister."

"I don't have a sister."

Kiera's lips curled into a smile.

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"About Lilly?"

"Who's Lilly?"

"Tim's other daughter." Kiera replied.

"I know where we are!" Meghan exclaimed, looking out the window. "How did we get to the Glades?"

"While you were sleeping."

"Are we going back to Miami?"

"No."

"Then why are we in the Glades?"

"I may feed you to the alligators." Kiera smiled sweetly. Meghan's eyes widened in fear.


	6. Chapter 6

Meghan let out a relieved sigh as they drove out of the Everglades. She wasn't going to be fed to the alligators. A phone rang, making her look over at Kiera. She sighed and reached into her pocket.

"Hello?"

"Kiera..."

"Well hi." From the smile on her face, Meghan could tell it was her father on the other end of the phone.

"Where are you?"

"Driving."

"Where?"

"Around."

"Kiera, where are you?"

"In Florida."

"Where in Florida?"

"Figure it out Tim. You figure everything else out."

"Can I talk to Meghan?"

Kiera glanced over at Meghan, who pretended like she wasn't listening.

"No. See, she's been a bad girl."

"If you laid a finger on her..."

"Oh stop!" Kiera laughed. "I would never. She's fine. She just is grounded. No phone for a while."

"You can't ground her. She's not your daughter."

"Not yet at least." Kiera hung up and tossed the phone onto the floor. "Don't touch it Meghan."

-------S/C-------

Tim watched Tyler as he tried to get a trace on the cell phone. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry Speed. She cut it off before I could get an exact location."

Tim sighed and stared down at his shoes.

"Isn't this the chick that killed her sister to be with you?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe she'll come to you..."

"I highly doubt it Tyler. Thanks anyway." Tim walked out and headed down towards Ballistics. Only Dave, the night shift ballistics expert, was there. "Dave, where's Calleigh?"

"She walked out of here a while ago." he replied.

"Great." Tim muttered. "Thanks."

He walked out, pulling his cell phone out, and dialed Calleigh's number.

"Calleigh Speedle."

"Hey. Where are you?"

"I had to go pick James up from school. Why?"

"No reason. I was just... worried."

"Oh. Did you get anywhere?"

"No. Tyler couldn't get a trace off of Kiera's cell phone."

There was silence for a few minutes and Tim was worried they got cut off.

"You still there?"

"Yeah. What's plan B?"

"I don't have a plan B." Tim admitted, heading down to the trace lab.

"So that's it?"

"No. I'm just... stuck for the moment."

"Tim, I know it sounds like I'm not effected by this but I just want her back."

"I know honey. I do too but if I have nothing then I can't go anywhere."

"And sometimes I can calm myself by saying that Kiera is in love with you and our kids and wouldn't want to hurt them but look what she did to Lilly. I... I just, every second that we waste is another second that I don't know if Meghan is still alive and that scares me. I just want her back."

Tim didn't know what to say.

"I'm at the school. I'll be back to the lab in about twenty minutes. I love you."

"I love you too." Tim hung up and looked at Eric. "Anything?"

"I remember back when we did the first case." Eric said. Tim looked at him. "Kiera's closet was filled with you. You lined the walls, shelves, everything. What if she did the same this time?"

"She was in jail."

"Ah-ha." Eric handed Tim a file. "She was released three months before the stalking began. Pleaded temporary insanity and they gave her parol. So I did some more digging. I typed in Kiera Martin on the real estate databases. Nothing."

"What does she sleep in a cardboard box outside my house?" Tim asked dryly.

"Close. I went to your house, the one you stayed at during these few years. I talked to your neighbors and showed them a picture of Kiera. Your neighbor Michelle Richards says that Kiera lives in the house two doors away from her, meaning that was your neighbor on the other side and that her name is Kara Marsh."

"She's been watching me." Tim mumbled.

--------S/C-------

Tim unlocked the front door and he and Eric walked into the house.

"Nice place Speed."

"I wasn't looking to invite anyone over." he muttered. "Okay, so she could look into my house whenever she wanted apparently."

"Did you ever let her in?"

"Eric, I would've remembered if I let this psycho in this place so no I did not."

"Maybe she snuck in. Maybe she's been taping you."


	7. Chapter 7

Tim opened the door to his bedroom and Eric peered out the window, a pair of binoculars in his hands.

"Yeah she's definitely watching you. Come take a look at this." Eric held out the binoculars and Tim looked through them.

"That's a video recorder on a tripod, looking straight into my bedroom." he muttered.

"Well, I don't want to watch that tape."

Tim slowly turned and looked at Eric, who smirked.

"I'm kidding." he added.

"We need to get that tape." Tim said.

--------S/C--------

"He left her. I'm so happy. Finally, after all these years, he left her."

Tyler raised an eyebrow and Tim sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"I thought it was one tape." he muttered. "These are from the past nine years."

The camera swerved and it focused on a house down the street. Tim felt his breath hitch when Calleigh exited the house and the camera zoomed in on her.

"There she is. She doesn't even care. Going on with life like she never had him before..."

"This isn't going to give me anything." Tim said, drowning out Kiera's narrating. "Go to the latest tape."

Tyler nodded and looked through the boxes littering the floor.

"Uh... May 16. That was two days ago." he said, putting the video in the VCR. Tim turned red and fast forwarded the tape. Tyler sighed and shook his head. "I really didn't need that image in my head. You getting dressed... well, it's not the best."

"I would really like to get this done without your comments." Tim said, playing the video now.

"I saw the girl, Meghan yesterday. I'll take her first. Make Tim come to me. Then, we'll go get James and be a family, just like we've always wanted. Tim told me that. On our first date..." Kiera's voice said. Tim stared at the screen in confusion. Was she this insane that she was remembering things from so long ago and adding memories along with it? When he had dated Kiera, one time might he add, he was twenty-four and the only thing on his mind had been beer, sex, and his new job at CSI. He never said anything about wanting a family, Tim knew that. That had been the last thing on his mind.

The annoying ring of his cell phone jolted Tim back into reality and he answered it.

"Speedle."

"Hi."

"What do you want from me?"

"You. That's all I want Tim. Come and meet me."

"Where?"

"At the docks."

----------S/C--------

Tim pulled his Tahoe to a stop at the docks and saw a silver Mercedes nearby. He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the Hummer parked down the street. Everything was set. Kiera stepped out of the Mercedes when she saw Tim walk over.

"It's been too long Tim." she said.

"It has." he glanced through the tinted windows, trying to see Meghan in the car.

"She's not in there. I knew you'd want her so I left her somewhere where she can't bug us or get in the way." Kiera smiled. "I finally have you again I see. After nine years of you ignoring me, my life has gotten pretty boring and depressing."

"You could've moved on."

"But I can't. You know, people tell me too and I tell them that I'm just waiting for my true love to come to his senses."

Tim smiled weakly and looked around.

"Where's Meghan?"

"I'll tell you after I get what I want. Do you have anyone else with you?"

"No. I came alone, just like you asked."

"Good. I knew you wouldn't let me down." Kiera said.


	8. Chapter 8

Meghan couldn't take it anymore. The buoy wasn't that big and the water was freezing. She could she Tim and Kiera talking near her car.

"DADDY!"

Tim swerved around and his eyes scanned the area around him.

"Where is she?"

"She's at my place." Kiera said.

"You're lying." Tim started walking around, trying to find Meghan. "Meghan!"

He didn't notice Kiera walking back to her car and grabbing the gun out of the glove compartment. Tim turned around and his hand quickly went to his own gun.

"If you go and get her then I'll kill her." Kiera said, a warning tone in her voice. Tim finally saw Meghan holding onto the buoy floating in the water.

"Kiera, give me the gun." he said. "Let's talk this over."

"Why? I know you're lying to me. I know you've been with _her_. I know that you're going to take Meghan and say you'll meet me later but the cops are going to come and arrest me. I'm not stupid Tim."

"Just give me Meghan. I'll work something out. I'll let you go away and no one will ever know."

"Didn't I just say I wasn't stupid?"

Tim nodded and took off running, jumping into the water.

'_Always telling Delko to stay out of this radioactive crap and here I go jumping in it.' _he thought, swimming towards Meghan. He grabbed and dragged her under as a shot went off. When they surfaced, she gasped her breath.

"What the hell..errr heck!"

"I won't tell your mother. Are you—," Tim was cut off by another shot. "Jesus Christ, I hate this woman! Can you swim?"

"No I've just been hanging on for a few hours. Yes I can swim!"

"Okay. Follow me then."

-------S/C------

Horatio handed Meghan a blanket as she climbed out of the water, then gave Tim one as well.

"Did you get her?"

"Yeah. She threw the gun into the water and Eric dove in for it, then retrieved the casings. I think Calleigh will have fun, after she sees you're all right." Horatio said, resting a hand on Meghan's shoulder. She nodded and hugged Tim tightly.

"Are you okay?" he asked as Horatio walked away.

"Yeah. I was scared." Meghan mumbled.

"I don't blame you. Come on. Let's go home, get some new clothes, and calm your mom down."

"Can we talk later? After everything's calmed down?"

"Yeah, of course."

-----------S/C-----------

Tim walked upstairs and smiled slightly.

"Calleigh, she's not going anywhere." he said, slipping an arm around her waist.

"I know but... Tim, she's my baby and I was so scared. I still am. I wonder if I'm dreaming this and she's still going to be gone when I wake up." she whispered, watching Meghan sleep.

"Go to bed Calleigh. You haven't slept a good amount of hours in a while."

"I don't want to leave her."

"Honey, she's going to be here in the morning."

"I thought we lost her."

"But we didn't. She's fine. We have work in the morning. Get some sleep." Tim said gently. Calleigh nodded and walked towards their bedroom, then stopped.

"Are you coming?" she asked. Tim nodded.

"I'll be there in a minute." he replied. Calleigh nodded and entered her bedroom. Tim walked into Meghan's room and sunk down onto the bed quietly. He watched Meghan for a couple of seconds and kissed her forehead. "I love you Meghan."

She rolled over and buried her head against a stuffed animal. Tim sighed and rubbed his eyes. He had nine years to make up for, for two kids. Tim stifled a yawn and walked towards his bedroom. He'd worry about it in the morning.

the end


End file.
